ORCBRB – Chapter 23
Chapter 23
Professor Xu kept the two of them for a full half-hour. Just as Sang Shi'an's face was about to stiffen from smiling, she asked, “Sang Shi'an, do you have any plans to pursue a master's degree?”
To be honest, Sang Shi'an hadn't really thought about it. The first-year curriculum was too basic and broad, with little difference across the entire School of Economics and Management, let alone any specific research direction.
But under Professor Xu's encouraging gaze, Sang Shi'an nodded obediently. “I've thought about it, but it will depend on my grades. I'll work hard.”
“Your grades are more than good enough. You don't need to be first in your major.” Professor Xu had already checked Sang Shi'an's GPA. She glanced at Jian Cenyu and added to Sang Shi'an, “You can also interact more with your seniors and ask them for their experiences.”
Sang Shi'an knew what Professor Xu meant and didn't act coy. She immediately said, “Then I'll be sure to ask Senior Jian for advice.”
Satisfied, Professor Xu waved her hand, dismissing them.
Once out of the office, Sang Shi'an let out a long sigh of relief. As she looked up, her eyes met Jian Cenyu's gaze.
“What are you looking at? Are you happy to hear me call you senior?”
Her expression was fierce, as if she might scratch someone at any moment.
“You were the one who insisted on acting obedient in front of Professor Xu.” Jian Cenyu reached out and gently pushed on Sang Shi'an's stiff back. “It's getting late. Let's go eat.”
Entering December, the sky darkened early. The canopy was a heavy, smoky blue, interwoven with the pale yellow light of the full moon.
Under the cover of night, Sang Shi'an stared pensively at Jian Cenyu's back for a while before she finally couldn't hold back. “Did you already know Professor Xu was looking for papers to submit? Is that why you lent me all those research materials and your own paper for reference?”
When Sang Shi'an was writing the first draft of that paper, the news about her and Jian Cenyu ‘living together’ had just been exposed. She had written it in a hurry at the time, but in the middle of it, the company she was using as a case study won a lawsuit, forcing her to scrap it and rewrite it several times.
Jian Cenyu said faintly, “It was nothing.”
Sang Shi'an narrowed her eyes. “Was it just convenient to give me the materials for reference back then, or was it convenient for me to end up writing this specific paper?”
Under the streetlight, Jian Cenyu asked her in return, “Why do you ask that?”
Sang Shi'an blurted out, “Of course, it's because back then I—”
Back then, she had been avoiding Jian Cenyu at all costs and had a habit of finding fault with her. After learning what Jian Cenyu had written about, she had deliberately chosen to expand on a point Jian Cenyu hadn't fully developed, as if they were competing.
That was how they ended up being featured together in the financial magazine.
“It's exactly as you think.” Jian Cenyu turned to look at Sang Shi'an. “It was to ease the tension between us at the time.”
The streetlight happened to flicker on, gradually illuminating Jian Cenyu's face—serene and frank.
Sang Shi'an was stunned for a moment.
That subtle emotion began to scratch lightly at her heart again.
It wasn't until they had walked through the snack street and reached the entrance of the Zuo'an Community that Jian Cenyu asked, “What do you want to eat tonight?”
Sang Shi'an replied, “Anything is fine.”
Jian Cenyu saw through her. “Weren't you uninterested in all the restaurants we just passed?”
Sang Shi'an made an excuse, “I was just worried you wouldn't be used to them.”
“Get in the car.” The car lights flashed as Jian Cenyu unlocked it with the key fob. She opened the passenger door with a sense of urgency. “Let's go somewhere farther. You can practice driving on the way back.”
Sang Shi'an got into the car, searched for restaurants on her phone, and asked, “What do you feel like eating?”
“Just pick something you like. Try not to choose a place with a queue of at least a hundred tables like last time.” Jian Cenyu unlocked her phone and swiped to the navigation page. “Set the destination.”
The car's built-in navigation was a custom version from a foreign company and wasn't as up-to-date with local businesses as domestic apps.
Sang Shi'an found the restaurant on the navigation page. As the car entered the overpass, she was about to hand the phone back when a call from someone named ‘Ji Ming’ popped up on the connected car screen.
Jian Cenyu glanced at it and tapped to answer.
The navigation map continued to work diligently, but the speaker's output switched to the phone call. “Junior CEO Jian, do you have a moment? Is it convenient to talk?”
Ji Ming's voice sounded hesitant, as if she were about to discuss an urgent and confidential work matter.
Sang Shi'an glanced at the short stretch of road ahead and tactfully pointed to a sign for an exit ramp. “Let's park over there. I heard a few new cake shops opened here recently. I'll go take a look. Call me when you're done.”
Jian Cenyu didn't turn the steering wheel, continuing up the overpass. “You're going to stand in the wind dressed like that?”
Sang Shi'an turned sideways defiantly. “I'm not cold at all. Besides, you're the one who wants me to listen to this call. If any secrets get leaked, I'm not taking responsibility!”
Jian Cenyu glanced at the navigation and changed lanes. “When have I ever given you trouble?”
Sang Shi'an: ...
Well, it seemed she hadn't. It had always been her creating obstacles for Jian Cenyu.
For a rare moment, Sang Shi'an's conscience pricked her, and she felt a little guilty.
She randomly opened an app on her phone. “You two go ahead and talk. Don't mind me, I'll just play a game.”
“Okay.” The curve of Jian Cenyu's lips slowly flattened before she spoke to Ji Ming on the phone. “Whatever it is, just say it.”
Ji Ming on the other end had been holding her breath for a long time. Jian Cenyu's slightly cool voice was like a savior to her, and she finally began her report.
During the five minutes she had been ignored, she had thought Jian Cenyu had forgotten about her. That gentle, smiling voice didn't sound like the Junior CEO Jian she knew at all.
Ever since Jian Cenyu's cousin, Jian Zhenyang, had gotten into trouble some time ago, Ji Ming had been following Jian Cenyu's instructions to monitor his movements and secretly investigate the matter. Today, she had consolidated the clues and made a new discovery.
“Jian Zhenyang's house in Jinwan Mountain was transferred a week ago. It's now registered under the name Lu Wan.”
“And Lu Wan is the wife of Wu Dong, a financial technician at Jian Corporation, not a particularly important role in the company. Gifting a property worth nearly ten million is highly suspicious. So I investigated further. I suspect this might be related to the Huaxing project that Jian Zhenyang wants to take public. Wu Dong's position is inconspicuous, but he has direct access to data on financing and bond projects.”
The call lasted for nearly twenty minutes, only ending when the evening rush hour traffic on the overpass finally cleared up.
Jian Cenyu's expression was not pleasant. Her brows had been furrowed for the latter half of the call, a rare display of genuine negative emotion.
Sang Shi'an had overheard a little. Realizing the seriousness of the matter, she had put her phone on complete silent mode to minimize her presence.
It seemed the internal strife at the Jian family was far more intense than what the media reported.
Sang Shi'an quietly switched to her notepad app and typed in a few keywords she had overheard. She might not understand them, but that didn't mean her brother wouldn't. She could omit the information about Jian Corporation and present it as a case study she heard in class to ask for his opinion.
Jian Cenyu drove for a while longer before the coldness in her eyes gradually faded. When the navigation announced that the destination was a hundred meters ahead, she slowed down and started looking for a parking spot.
This time, with Jian Cenyu's words in mind, Sang Shi'an had chosen a relatively quiet restaurant. They were able to get a table and order immediately after entering.
The Western restaurant was decorated in the style of a haunted house, with cartoon wizards perched by every booth. Even the music playing was a cheerful English song.
While they were ordering, Jian Cenyu took another call. When she hung up, Sang Shi'an felt the atmosphere around her grow even colder.
Even the long hair scattered over her chest seemed exceptionally stiff.
Sang Shi'an propped her head up with one hand and pointed to a nearby doll. “Jian Cenyu, your face is almost as dark as the wizard next to you.”
“Then you'd better be careful.”
Backlit by an orange jack-o'-lantern, Jian Cenyu's gaze slowly met Sang Shi'an's. Her teasing tone was light, melting into Sang Shi'an's ears like water.
Sang Shi'an paused, then scooted twenty centimeters closer to Jian Cenyu and said slowly, “I heard everything in the car. Are you in a bad mood?”
Jian Cenyu asked instead, “Did you understand it?”
Of course she didn't really understand. She only knew that Jian Cenyu's cousin was colluding with someone in the company to pull off some scheme, but the specifics were unknown.
“Isn't it just about them teaming up to kick you out?” Sang Shi'an chose a catch-all answer. “As it happens, I have to go be a grunt for my brother in a few days. I was planning to ask him if there are any new projects we could collaborate on with your family. Maybe I could be in charge of it?”
No matter how nonchalantly she tried to act, Jian Cenyu could see the concern in Sang Shi'an's eyes at a glance. Her gaze slowly swept over the beautiful face that had moved closer, and she shook her head. “It's not that much trouble.”
Sang Shi'an said, “Oh.”
Then go on and act tough.
The appetizers they ordered arrived one by one. Sang Shi'an was here to check out the place for Su Ningyue, so she took photos of each dish and the restaurant's ambiance.
As she tilted the camera slightly, Jian Cenyu came into the frame.
Jian Cenyu was looking down at some documents with a focused expression. Sang Shi'an remembered asking her why she had come to Yanjing University for a second master's degree. With Jian Corporation in such a mess, studying only pharmacology was indeed not enough to outwit those old foxes. No wonder her parents had taken a liking to Jian Cenyu as a daughter-in-law.
Just then, Jian Cenyu suddenly looked up. “...Are you secretly taking a picture of me?”
Her voice carried a hint of hesitation.
Sang Shi'an's hand trembled, her finger brushing against the shutter button, and a new photo was automatically saved to her album.
If Jian Cenyu asked to see it, she definitely wouldn't have time to delete it.
Sang Shi'an hesitated for a second before locking her phone screen. “I was taking pictures of the restaurant's ambiance for a friend. I only caught you by accident.”
Jian Cenyu's gaze lingered on her face for two seconds, her expression unreadable. “Mm, let's eat.”
This made Sang Shi'an lose her appetite. She wanted to explain herself several times but worried that Jian Cenyu would think she was making a big deal out of it.
As she was hesitating for the fourth time, Jian Cenyu suddenly put down her knife and fork, picked up a french fry, dipped it in ketchup, and fed it to Sang Shi'an.
With the fry in her mouth, Sang Shi'an mumbled, “What are you doing?”
“It's not as serious as you think. Jian Zhenyang wants to use a backdoor listing to embezzle funds. Since I've discovered it early, I won't let him succeed.” Jian Cenyu finally decided to explain the deeper meaning of the phone call in the car.
Hearing the words ‘won't let him succeed,’ Sang Shi'an's bit of anxiety instantly turned into dissatisfaction. “Jian Cenyu, did you even wash your hands before grabbing that fry?”
Jian Cenyu wiped her hands and picked up her knife and fork again. “I didn't. Just don't eat the part I touched.”
Sang Shi'an spat out the end of the fry, her tone finally lightening. “Do you really need to tell me that?”
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